


a flash of life (don’t let go)

by Charr777



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Brotp, Gen, Grieving, OG avengers, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), endgame spoilers, everyone loved nat okay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-04 17:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18609454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charr777/pseuds/Charr777
Summary: AVENGERS ENDGAME SPOILERSsometimes they just sit and think of her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> ENDGAME SPOILERS DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE MOVIE
> 
>  
> 
> don’t say i didn’t warn you

Tony didn’t have a chance to grieve. He was so consumed with what came next, what he had to lose, that he stamped down the tears and moved on. Later, when he was fading and his skin was burning, he wished he had given himself a chance. Pepper’s eyes were shining as he drifted off. 

 

When his eyes opened he didn’t expect to see Natasha standing above him, eyebrow quirked and hand outstretched. Behind her was a brilliant glow he had trouble looking at.  
“Come on Stark we don’t have all day.” Natasha said, smiling. As Tony grabbed her hand he smiled too. When he stood up, his suit and chest holder were gone. He was in his t-shirt and jeans he wore when he had talked to Steve, Natasha, and Scott while holding Morgan, all those days ago. Natasha led him, two steps ahead as always, towards the light.  
Tony looked back, but there was nothing but light for as far as he could see. He wished he could see Morgan one last time. To tell her everything he would have said in years to come. The video wasn’t enough. It could never be enough. But it would have to be.  
“There’s nothing back there Tony,” Natasha cautioned, turning around to look at him. “everything is ahead of us.” She turned and walked into the light.  
Tony let a small smile form and followed suit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here’s steve’s chapter, sorry if it’s a little messy i jumped around a lot hopefully it’s coherent.

Steve stared out at the water. Sam had left a few minutes earlier with the shield. As he walked towards the temporary headquarters, Bucky approached him.  
They just sat in silence, watching the waves lapping the shore.  
“I can’t believe she’s gone.”  
Steve turned to look at Bucky’s carefully stoic face.  
“It’s been so long, but sometimes I still think she’s gonna come through a door, or I’ll see her hair through a window, but it’s not her.”  
Bucky turns to look at him, still silent. Steve remains looking out at the shore.  
They sit, all the words left unsaid hanging above them. Three words could have sent them all crashing down but it was too late for them. Steve had made his choice. Natasha had known, she always did.  
Natasha had cornered him once, while they were on the hunt for Bucky. She was still bleeding from her shoulder but still backed him into a corner.  
“Who is this guy to you Steve, really?”  
He had stammered out some half baked answer and she saw through it but let him go.  
Natasha had been his best friend since Thanos, ever since Sam and Bucky had-  
Natasha was his best friend. He would check up on her in the compound in between his group sessions, the visits got fewer and farther between but she always smiled when she saw him. Not that fake smirk she used on targets, a real genuine smile that always made Steve feel like he’d accomplished something.  
He remembers the sinking feeling in his gut when he turned on the platform to see Clint on his knees, alone. When they made eye contact and Clint’s eyes filled with tears, Steve knew she was gone.  
Stupid, brave, selfless Nat. Of course she wouldn’t let Clint sacrifice himself. Steve would have done the same in her position. Clint had something they didn’t, stability, a life outside all this chaos.  
Until Steve turned the clock back. He felt like he was betraying Natasha, betraying Bucky, by giving himself something they’d never had. A life, a wife who loved him, kids, a white picket fence. But as he remembered Peggy’s brown eyes shining when he’d walked in through SHIELD’s front door, he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.  
As he sat next to his oldest and best friend, he could almost imagine Nat beside them, red hair blowing in the breeze. Quiet peace. He hoped after all this time, he could finally rest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> steve’s ending was very bittersweet for me. i loved that he and peggy got their life, but i felt terrible for bucky and sam. anyway up next will probably be bruce.

**Author's Note:**

> i’m gonna do a chapter for each of the og avengers, i was debating putting tony last but i’m too sad to wait so he’s first.


End file.
